W2W: Super Bowl Edition

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The big game and everything surrounding it.

By Robert Canning

We cover a lot of television here on IGN TV, and there's still way more airing than we normally cover. So in the interest of helping you figure out what's worth watching, we have What 2 Watch, a.k.a. W2W, with our picks for the following night's programming.

Each day one of the IGN editors offers their unique take on what's worth watching, recording, or is otherwise noteworthy. So, without further ado, here are our picks for Saturday, January 31, through Monday, February 2, 2009.

Make 'Em Laugh: The Funny Business of America (PBS, Saturday 7pm)

PBS has been airing a fun, six-part documentary about the history of comedy in America. It's not an intense, deeply moving Ken Burns doc, but it does have interviews with the likes of Judd Apatow, Larry David, Will Ferrell as well as vets like Sid Ceasar, Carol Burnett and the Smothers Brothers.

This rerun should be covering "wiseguys" like W.C. Fields, Groucho Marx and Eddie Murphy, as well as satirists ranging from Will Rogers to Stephen Colbert. Want to learn a little something about comedic history and laugh your butt off while you're doing it? Then check your local listings.

The team I've rooted for all season is not in the Super Bowl this year, but I'm not going to let that ruin the game for me. In situations like this, I always root for the underdogs to pull off an upset, and I think the Cardinals have a shot. And besides, the Steelers just won the championship in 2005. They should let another team have the glory. I mean, the Patriots stepped aside this year to give another team a chance. Wasn't that nice of them? Nice job, Patriots. You're a class act. Of course, if you had won that overtime Jets game, you would have actually made the playoffs and it would be you beating the Cardinals to make up for the fact that you couldn't tackle Eli Manning to save your life and you let a man catch a football against his helmet. His helmet!

Anyway, regardless of the outcome, the last thing anybody wants is a blow out. I think us football fans have been spoiled a bit over the past several years with some pretty exciting games. Like last year's Patriots-Giants game -- that was exciting. And depressing. That was a perfect season you were playing for! Did you forget that? Stupid Patriots. Go Cardinals.

The Commercials During Super Bowl XLIII (NBC, Sunday 6pm)

Of course not everybody is a Patriots fan… er… football fan. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't watch. If you didn't, you'd miss all the incredible advertisements. And then what would you have to talk about on Monday? Everybody will have his or her favorite, so you best pay attention.

I've been doing my best to avoid the Super-Bowl-ad hype this year, so the spots will be a big surprise. I hope there will be a funny one with animals involved in some way. Maybe from Pepsi. We'll have to wait and see.

Jack Black and Jessica Alba guest star in this post-Super Bowl episode of The Office, as actors in a movie that the office gang will be watching. I don't think that's the entire plot of the episode, but it's all I've garnered from write-ups about the show.

Big name guest stars is the last thing I think fans of The Office want to see, since it flirts with shark jumping, but I'm confident the series can pull off something great. I mean, this is the show after the Super Bowl. I doubt they're going to waste this opportunity.

I caught the series premiere of TNT's new ad-men show Trust Me last Monday, and I thought it was okay. Much of it felt a bit forced and it didn't quit have its voice down yet, but there was potential. And I frickin' love Tom Cavanagh. He's been sorely underused since Ed went off the air. He's always great as J.D.'s brother on Scrubs and he was the best part of the lame Eli Stone.

I hope this episode builds on what the premiere set up and that Trust Me can stay on the air long enough for Cavanagh's character to win America's heart. Or just bring Ed back. I miss Ed.